<p>New Delhi: India’s second space port at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu will be commissioned this year and the first set of satellite launches are expected next year, Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.</p><p>Work has also begun on the third launch pad at Sriharikota, which will be ready by 2029-30 for the first flight of NGLV (next generation launch vehicle) – the super heavy weight rocket that India is building to expand its space station after 2035 – next year.</p><p>The launch complex at Kulasekarapattinam is intended for flights of small satellite launch vehicles to ferry satellites to sun-synchronous polar orbit, mostly preferred for earth observation.</p><p>“The second launch site is expected to be commissioned in FY 2026-27 time frame and the SSLV launches from Kulasekarapattinam is expected by 2027-28,” Singh said.</p><p>The SSLVs will allow private companies to offer on-demand satellite services for civil and military applications. For the next ten years, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. will manufacture the SSLV.</p><p>The rockets will ferry nano, micro and mini satellites weighing up to 300 kg to sun-synchronous orbits or 500 kg to low earth orbits at an altitude of around 400 km and offer on-demand launch services, without requiring clients to wait for larger rockets to carry them as co-passengers.</p><p>Subsequent to the opening of the space sector, New Delhi is eyeing a $ 44 billion space market including $11 billion export and SSLV is likely to play a key role in capturing the market.</p>.Chandrayaan-5 to have heavier lander with longer mission life: ISRO chief.<p>The commercial space market is currently dominated by the USA, European Union and China. The communist country is way ahead of India as it completed over 200 space missions since 2020 as compared to India’s about two dozens.</p><p>Singh said three missions each of PSLV and SSLV, mostly earth observation satellites, are planned to be launched from Sriharikota in 2026-27. In addition, two missions each of GSLV and LVM3, for communication and navigation satellites are also planned this year.</p><p>The minister also brushed aside reports of Indian Space Research Organisation building yet another launch facility near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<p>New Delhi: India’s second space port at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu will be commissioned this year and the first set of satellite launches are expected next year, Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.</p><p>Work has also begun on the third launch pad at Sriharikota, which will be ready by 2029-30 for the first flight of NGLV (next generation launch vehicle) – the super heavy weight rocket that India is building to expand its space station after 2035 – next year.</p><p>The launch complex at Kulasekarapattinam is intended for flights of small satellite launch vehicles to ferry satellites to sun-synchronous polar orbit, mostly preferred for earth observation.</p><p>“The second launch site is expected to be commissioned in FY 2026-27 time frame and the SSLV launches from Kulasekarapattinam is expected by 2027-28,” Singh said.</p><p>The SSLVs will allow private companies to offer on-demand satellite services for civil and military applications. For the next ten years, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. will manufacture the SSLV.</p><p>The rockets will ferry nano, micro and mini satellites weighing up to 300 kg to sun-synchronous orbits or 500 kg to low earth orbits at an altitude of around 400 km and offer on-demand launch services, without requiring clients to wait for larger rockets to carry them as co-passengers.</p><p>Subsequent to the opening of the space sector, New Delhi is eyeing a $ 44 billion space market including $11 billion export and SSLV is likely to play a key role in capturing the market.</p>.Chandrayaan-5 to have heavier lander with longer mission life: ISRO chief.<p>The commercial space market is currently dominated by the USA, European Union and China. The communist country is way ahead of India as it completed over 200 space missions since 2020 as compared to India’s about two dozens.</p><p>Singh said three missions each of PSLV and SSLV, mostly earth observation satellites, are planned to be launched from Sriharikota in 2026-27. In addition, two missions each of GSLV and LVM3, for communication and navigation satellites are also planned this year.</p><p>The minister also brushed aside reports of Indian Space Research Organisation building yet another launch facility near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.</p>
